Virginia House of Delegates rejects judicial nominee because he's gay

Just after 1:00 am Tuesday morning, the GOP-controlled Virginia House of Delegates voted to block the appointment of an openly gay Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Tracy Thorne-Begland, to the judgeship of the General District Court in Richmond.

Thorne-Begland's nomination had received bipartisan support and had been approved by the courts committees in both the state House and Senate. Of the more than three dozen judicial nominees considered during the legislative session, Thorne-Begland was the only one not approved.

Thorne-Begland received only 33 of the 51 necessary "aye" votes in the House of Delegates to confirm him as a judge. 31 legislators, all Republicans, voted against him. Ten more Republicans abstained and another 26 members of the 100-member chamber did not vote. The State Senate did not put Thorne-Begland's appointment up for a vote at all, allowing it to die as the legislative session ended.

Having served as a prosecutor for over twelve years he was considered highly qualified to sit on the General District Court. But a movement from the Family Foundation and Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) pushed back, arguing that his sexual orientation should have kept him from even being considered. Said Delegate Marshall:

I don't even think it's proper to put his name forward because of his behavior... I don't know why the folks on the courts committee didn't catch this before, but they didn't. But it's up to us to act as a backstop.

The "folks on the courts committee" didn't "catch" Thorne-Begland's sexual orientation beforehand because being gay doesn't have anything to do with being a good judge; there wasn't anything to "catch." Virginia Republicans' blatant disregard for Thorne-Begland's qualifications and their rejection of him solely on the basis of his sexual orientation is, as FOX News' Shep Smith would say, on the wrong side of history. Hate has no place in our government, and those who voted to block this appointment are creating a dark, embarrassing legacy for themselves.

Endnote: ProgressVA is circulating a petition denouncing homophobia's role in determining qualified judicial nominees which can be found and signed here. Furthermore, a list of those voting "nay" or "abstaining" in Thorne-Begland's appointment vote can be found here and here.

Just after 1:00 am Tuesday morning, the GOP-controlled Virginia House of Delegates voted to block the appointment of an openly gay Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Tracy Thorne-Begland, to the judgeship of the General District Court in Richmond.

Thorne-Begland's nomination had received bipartisan support and had been approved by the courts committees in both the state House and Senate. Of the more than three dozen judicial nominees considered during the legislative session, Thorne-Begland was the only one not approved.

Thorne-Begland received only 33 of the 51 necessary "aye" votes in the House of Delegates to confirm him as a judge. 31 legislators, all Republicans, voted against him. Ten more Republicans abstained and another 26 members of the 100-member chamber did not vote. The State Senate did not put Thorne-Begland's appointment up for a vote at all, allowing it to die as the legislative session ended.

Having served as a prosecutor for over twelve years he was considered highly qualified to sit on the General District Court. But a movement from the Family Foundation and Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) pushed back, arguing that his sexual orientation should have kept him from even being considered. Said Delegate Marshall:

I don't even think it's proper to put his name forward because of his behavior... I don't know why the folks on the courts committee didn't catch this before, but they didn't. But it's up to us to act as a backstop.

The "folks on the courts committee" didn't "catch" Thorne-Begland's sexual orientation beforehand because being gay doesn't have anything to do with being a good judge; there wasn't anything to "catch." Virginia Republicans' blatant disregard for Thorne-Begland's qualifications and their rejection of him solely on the basis of his sexual orientation is, as FOX News' Shep Smith would say, on the wrong side of history. Hate has no place in our government, and those who voted to block this appointment are creating a dark, embarrassing legacy for themselves.

Endnote: ProgressVA is circulating a petition denouncing homophobia's role in determining qualified judicial nominees which can be found and signed here. Furthermore, a list of those voting "nay" or "abstaining" in Thorne-Begland's appointment vote can be found here and here.

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